The Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) proudly announces a major distinction in the highly competitive European call HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-ACCESS-01-01: Teaming for Excellence. The SPACE-Crete proposal, coordinated by Panagiotis Tsakalides, Professor at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Crete and Director of the Institute of Computer Science at FORTH, with a total budget of €35 million over six years, ranked 2nd among 61 proposals from across Europe and 1st among the Greek submissions.
The SPACE-Crete project will establish the Crete Center of Excellence in Emerging Space Technologies (CCEST), which will operate as an independent entity with the long-term goal of financial sustainability. Leveraging the combined expertise of FORTH’s Institutes of Computer Science (ICS), Astrophysics (IA), and Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), CCEST will be structured around three closely interconnected research pillars: intelligent space systems, optical and quantum communications, and quantum sensors.
Focusing on space communications, space surveillance and monitoring, and Earth observation, the Center will, for the first time in Southeastern Europe, create a fully integrated space ecosystem. This ecosystem will span the entire innovation spectrum, from fundamental research and new ESA-certified infrastructures, including the upgraded Skinakas Observatory, to technology maturation and industrial uptake.
This vision will be realized through strategic collaboration with three of Europe’s most distinguished space research organizations. CEA, France’s largest public research organization, participates through the Space Architecture & Systems and CosmoStat laboratories. DLR, Germany’s leading aerospace research center, contributes expertise in quantum technologies and satellite navigation. In addition, OHB-Hellas, a member of the German OHB SE group, the third-largest space technology company in Europe, participates as a key industrial partner.
At the national level, the University of Crete plays a central role, leading the educational mission of CCEST. Through its School of Sciences and its close collaboration with FORTH, it will serve as the core for the Center’s graduate programs, helping train the next generation of space scientists and engineers on the island.
This success represents far more than an academic distinction. Despite its world-class research excellence, Greece has not yet secured the position it deserves in the European space economy. CCEST aims to change this reality by addressing a structural gap that has held back Southeastern Europe for decades.
At the national level, CCEST will act as a central coordination hub for emerging space technologies, directly supporting the country’s space strategy and complementing national investments in microsatellites and ground stations. As a trusted partner of ESA, it will strengthen Greece’s participation in the European space program, improving its return coefficient and expanding opportunities for involvement in large-scale European initiatives.
For Crete, the impact will be immediate and multifaceted. The Center is expected to create more than 120 highly skilled jobs, attracting both Greek researchers from the diaspora and international scientific talent. The upgraded Skinakas Observatory will evolve into a leading European infrastructure for developing optical and quantum communication technologies, with strong prospects of becoming the country’s main operational hub for ground-to-satellite telecommunications. At the same time, a dedicated innovation hub will foster the growth of deep-tech startups, integrating space technologies into Crete’s economic development strategy.
Education and human capital development are at the core of CCEST’s mission. The Center will offer a comprehensive range of educational opportunities, from professional training and lifelong learning programs for students and professionals to international Master’s and PhD programs. Together, these initiatives will cultivate a dynamic ecosystem of researchers and entrepreneurs, supporting the growth of the Greek space sector and helping reverse the long-standing brain drain from Crete and Greece.
SPACE-Crete and FORTH express their sincere gratitude to the stakeholders whose co-investment, alongside European funding, makes the realization of CCEST possible: the Ministry of Development, the Ministry of Digital Governance, the Region of Crete, and Motor Oil Hellas.
Combined with European funding, the total investment in CCEST amounts to €35 million, making it one of the most significant research and innovation projects ever implemented in Crete. This support, reflecting a high level of trust from both government and industry, confirms that excellence in space technologies is now recognized as a strategic priority for Greece and Crete.
The Director of the Institute of Computer Science at FORTH and Coordinator of SPACE-Crete, Professor Panagiotis Tsakalides, stated: “The approval of SPACE-Crete is a major success for FORTH and for Crete. This project embodies the unique interdisciplinary strength and collaborative power of FORTH’s Institutes, forming a unified, internationally competitive ecosystem in space research and technology. At the same time, the strategic partnership with three leading European organizations, CEA, DLR, and OHB-Hellas, confirms the strong European dimension and reach of this initiative. Our vision is clear: to transform Crete into the ‘SPACE Island of Southeastern Europe,’ a hub of excellence that will position our country firmly and sustainably on the European map of space technologies.”
The President of FORTH, Professor Vassilis Charmandaris, stated: “The success of SPACE-Crete marks a significant milestone for FORTH and represents a natural continuation of the vision of the Foundation’s founders and the Skinakas Observatory. From its early days, FORTH and its pioneering scientists aimed to place Greece and Crete on an outward-looking, international path of excellence in the natural sciences, developing infrastructures and collaborations that extend beyond national boundaries.
Today, SPACE-Crete, with the support of the State and the organizations that have placed their trust in it, brings this vision to life. It strengthens synergies among FORTH’s Institutes, builds upon and expands shared research infrastructures with the University of Crete, and with the decisive contribution of leading European partners and private stakeholders lays the foundation for an ambitious, cutting-edge initiative. This is a project that not only builds on our scientific legacy but expands it, reinforcing the position of Crete and Greece on the global research and innovation map, while opening new pathways for technological and economic growth.”
